Liberty's Strong Defense Smothers Becahi The Hurricanes Allowed Only Two Points In Both The First And Fourth Quarters Vs. The Hawks

February 03, 1996|by MONICA DEEB, The Morning Call

Liberty played smothering defense and had just enough offense to defeat visiting Bethlehem Catholic 30-26 last night.

The Hurricanes held the Golden Hawks to two points in the first and fourth quarters and forced them into 24 turnovers.

Junior Taina Ramos led the Hurricanes with 11 points, which included a three-point play to give them the lead for good at 27-24 early in the fourth. She also had six rebounds and two steals.

Mollie Byrd and Latisha Holmes sealed the East Penn Conference win by combining for three free throws in the final 38 seconds.

With the victory, Liberty (12-8, 3-2) qualified for districts for the first time in two years.

"We scored when we had to, and we really hustled," Liberty coach John Tone said. "Getting our 12th win was what we needed for districts, and I'm pleased we were able to get it against a quality team like Bethlehem Catholic."

The Hawks shot just 29 percent (10-for-34) from the floor; Liberty was a little better at 31 percent (11-for-35).

Only Geri Guman had a good shooting night for Becahi. She came off the bench and finished with with a team-high 10 points, which included a 3-pointer that gave the Hawks a 24-22 lead with 10 seconds left in the third.

Trish Szoke, the Hawks' usual big gun, was double- and triple-teamed almost the entire game and wasn't an offensive factor. She did, however, help keep Becahi in the game with six boards and a blocked shot.

The Hurricanes seemed to grab every loose ball, although they were outrebounded 28-25. They also committed 19 turnovers, including eight in the last quarter.

Amy Opp had two 3-pointers for Liberty. Byrd and Alyson Gould each had five points and combined for six boards and four steals.

Szoke scored the first basket of the game, but the Hawks didn't score again until there was 3:13 left in the second quarter. By that time, Liberty was ahead 13-2. The Hawks (9-10, 2-3) scraped back into the game with their own tenacious defense and outside shots by Guman and Tara Lukievics.

But it wasn't enough.

The Hurricanes mixed their defenses all game, and it seemed to work most of the time. Whether they played a 1-3-1 zone or full-court man, the Hurricanes had their hands in the passing lanes.

"We're not effective when we're tentative on either end of the court," Tone said. "On defense, we're always moving and looking to disrupt. On offense, we like to push the ball up the court.

"I'd rather us miss a shot than throw the ball away waiting for something to happen. The kids seem to like that style of play better, too."

In the jayvee game, Dana Davis hit six 3-pointers to lead Liberty to a 39-36 victory. Davis, who finished with 22 points, hit her final 3-pointer with three seconds left.

"I'm still in shock over the ending of that game," said Weber, after the varsity game. "She was really on."